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Lavender Massed in Xeriscapes |
By Marty Fisher, Colorado Master GardenerSM,
Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Denver
All lavender needs to survive is sun and good drainage, making it
useful massed in xeriscapes. It is tolerant of cold, winds, rain, and snow. It will even
stand wet feet or poor drainage for a short time after a heavy rain.
Plants to combine with Lavender:
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Grasses
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| Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) |
| Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) |
| Indian ricegrass (Oryzopsis
hymenoides) |
| Little bluestem (Schizachyrium
scoparium) |
| Sideoats grama (Bouteloua
cartipendula) |
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Perennials
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| Black-eyed
Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) |
| Blanket flower
(Gaillardia spp) |
| Blue flax (Linum
perenne) |
| Butterflyweed (Asclepias
tuberosa) |
| Chocolate
flower (Berlandiera lyrata) |
| Hardy
Four-O-Clock (Mirabilis multiflora) |
| Hyssop (Agastache) |
| Poppy mallow (Callirhoe
involucrata) |
| Rocky Mountain
penstemon (Penstemon strictus) |
Yarrow
(Achillea) |
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Shrubs
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| Apache plume
(Fallugia paradoxa) |
| Currants,
gooseberry (Ribes spp.) |
| Kinnikinick/bearberry
(Arctostaphylos) |
| Mountain mahogany
(Cercocarpus spp.) |
Oregon
grape (Mahonia repens) |
| Roses
(Rosa sp) |
| Sage (Artemisia spp.) |
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English Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) is the
most popular species of lavender in North America. It is the hardiest of the lavenders,
grown easily in Denver’s Zone 5. However, with a blanket of snow in the winter to
protect it from freezing and thawing, it is known to survive down to Zone 3.
Two cultivars of L. angustifolia adapt well in Colorado,
'Hidcote' and 'Munstead.' Both are readily available from local garden centers. The
flowers range from white to purple, with all shades of pink, mauve, and lavender blue in
between. With this pallet, lavender is sure to compliment any garden color scheme.
Although lavender would prefer gritty, sandy soil, it survives in Colorado’s
heavy, compacted soil if grown on mounds. Compost may be added to the soil but never use
strong manure. It grows quite well without fertilization. In fact, lavender grown in poor
soil produces the most fragrance.
Mature plants thrive in dry conditions.
Young plants, however, require regular watering to become established. Overhead
sprinklers are their worst enemy, drowning young plants and causing mature bushes to split
or die. Avoid watering too near the crown (top) of the root system or root rot may appear.
Adequate airflow helps keep the plants healthy.
Pruning lavender once a year will keep the plants in shape. The bush
can be cut back to one third of its size. The best time to prune is in the later summer
after flowering. Bushes that are not pruned have a tendency to become woody in the center
of the bush. This shearing helps keep a tight, denser version of its natural shape. It is
also thought that pruning will extend the lifetime of lavender.
Plant lavender en mass to form a canopy effect or put it among other
xeric plants that share their leaf color of dusty blue or gray-green.
Use lavender as an edging around annual, herb, or perennial beds. It
is a striking complement to other xeric plants such as chocolate flowers (Berlandiera
lyrata), hardy four o’clocks (Mirabilis multiflora) and poppy mallow (Callirhoe
involucrata).
It is interesting intermixed with taller xeric plants such as Globe
thistle (Echinops ritro), blanket flowers (Gaillardia aristata), Rocky Mountain
penstemons (Penstemon strictus), or prairie flowers (Ratibida columnifera).
It brings color to gray-green grasses such as blue grama grass (Bouteloua
gracilis), sideoats grama (Bouteloua cartipendula), or Indian ricegrass (Oryzopsis
hymenoides).
Photo Credits:
Mass Xeriscape Planting: Judy
Feather
Others: Judy Sedbrook
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